‘Malcolm in the Middle’ star Frankie Muniz back at Daytona and rising up the NASCAR racing ladder

By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Actor Frankie Muniz will try to make his Xfinity Series debut in the No. 35 Ford for Joey Gase Racing at Daytona International Speedway. Muniz finished fourth in the entry-level ARCA Series last year and gained enough confidence and respect to start climbing the NASCAR ladder. The deal to move up came together last week and has been less than ideal for the “Malcolm in the Middle” star. He ended up meeting several crew members for the first time Friday and hasn’t practiced live pit stops. Muniz still needs to qualify for Saturday’s race. It’s a potentially daunting task considering six of the 44 entrants will be sent home.